diff --git a/examples/ansible.cfg b/examples/ansible.cfg
index 4c7cbb6548..c7fefb4fa7 100644
--- a/examples/ansible.cfg
+++ b/examples/ansible.cfg
@@ -131,6 +131,10 @@ lookup_plugins     = /usr/share/ansible_plugins/lookup_plugins
 vars_plugins       = /usr/share/ansible_plugins/vars_plugins
 filter_plugins     = /usr/share/ansible_plugins/filter_plugins
 
+# set to 1 if you don't want cowsay support. Alternatively, set ANSIBLE_NOCOWS=1
+# in your environment
+# nocows           = 1
+
 [paramiko_connection]
 
 # nothing to configure yet
diff --git a/lib/ansible/callbacks.py b/lib/ansible/callbacks.py
index a483517bb4..487da7666f 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/callbacks.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/callbacks.py
@@ -34,6 +34,8 @@ if constants.DEFAULT_LOG_PATH != '':
 callback_plugins = [x for x in utils.plugins.callback_loader.all()]
 
 def get_cowsay_info():
+    if constants.ANSIBLE_NOCOWS is not None:
+        return (None, None)
     cowsay = None
     if os.getenv("ANSIBLE_NOCOWS") is not None:
         cowsay = None
diff --git a/lib/ansible/constants.py b/lib/ansible/constants.py
index 486a63cdf0..499f6e2e7c 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/constants.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/constants.py
@@ -105,8 +105,9 @@ DEFAULT_VARS_PLUGIN_PATH       = shell_expand_path(get_config(p, DEFAULTS, 'vars
 DEFAULT_FILTER_PLUGIN_PATH     = shell_expand_path(get_config(p, DEFAULTS, 'filter_plugins',     'ANSIBLE_FILTER_PLUGINS', '/usr/share/ansible_plugins/filter_plugins'))
 DEFAULT_LOG_PATH               = shell_expand_path(get_config(p, DEFAULTS, 'log_path',           'ANSIBLE_LOG_PATH', ''))
 
-ANSIBLE_SSH_ARGS          = get_config(p, 'ssh_connection', 'ssh_args', 'ANSIBLE_SSH_ARGS', None)
-ZEROMQ_PORT               = int(get_config(p, 'fireball', 'zeromq_port', 'ANSIBLE_ZEROMQ_PORT', 5099))
+ANSIBLE_NOCOWS                 = get_config(p, DEFAULTS, 'nocows', 'ANSIBLE_NOCOWS', None)
+ANSIBLE_SSH_ARGS               = get_config(p, 'ssh_connection', 'ssh_args', 'ANSIBLE_SSH_ARGS', None)
+ZEROMQ_PORT                    = int(get_config(p, 'fireball', 'zeromq_port', 'ANSIBLE_ZEROMQ_PORT', 5099))
 
 # non-configurable things
 DEFAULT_SUDO_PASS         = None